Children decorated bags filled with food and crafts and gave them to the elderly and the seniors in the community.

MOUNT CARMEL, Pa. — While many daycare facilities have closed due to the coronavirus shutdown Winnie the Pooh Daycare is open.

The facility applied for and was granted a waiver based on the high number of parents who are essential workers.

“We do have a lot of children here on a daily basis.  It is really helping our parents to be able to go to work at this terrible time,” said Danielle Wolfgang, Winne The Pooh Daycare Director.

Wolfgang said around 60 kids have consistently shown up since the shutdown started.

A few days ago the daycare started a project called, “Project Hope, helping out people everywhere.”

“We made care packages for the elderly and the seniors in our community,” Wolfgang said. “We gave them food, crafts from the kids while they’re off from school. There are toilet paper and toiletries.”

The children decorated the bags and filled them.

“They really got that sense of helping, understanding that there aren’t people as fortunate as they are,” Wolfgang added. “It helped them see what it’s like to be part of the community.”

Daycare workers delivered many of the bags to area senior citizens.

The daycare is looking for donations of non-perishable food items and toiletries.

People can drop these items off in front of the facility on East Fourth Street.

The children want to continue the project until the crisis is over.